Sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex, behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. It may include the belief that a person of one sex is intrinsically superior to a person of the other sex. Sexist claims are based on both real and alleged differences between men and women. More specifically, common sexist claims stem from traditional stereotypes of gender roles. According to dictionaries, the term sexism commonly refers to discrimination against women; however, sexism can also apply to men. In mainstream media Due to the Smurfs being portrayed as a single-gender race with only a few female Smurfs that were introduced into the cast of characters, sexism is an unavoidable topic both within the mainstream media universe and outside it. In fact, the Smurfs themselves are responsible for coining the TV Tropes term "the Smurfette principle" to describe fictional works in which only a few female characters have been added to an overall male cast. In the comic book story "The Great Smurfette", Smurfette deals with sexism among her fellow Smurfs as Papa Smurf leaves her in charge of the Smurf Village while he is gone. The upcoming film Smurfs: The Lost Village may also deal with this issue as the Smurfs encounter their female counterparts, the Smurfettes. Empath: The Luckiest Smurf stories The problem of sexism among the Smurfs in the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf story series goes both ways, as Smurfette herself encounters characters such as Ghinelle that have sexist attitudes against males and would never fail to find some way to torment males. A female wraith named Avengelica used Sassette's desire to get revenge on her brother Hefty, a known sexist, for his mistreatment of her in exchange for Sassette being made one of Avengelica's minions. There are female Smurfs on Smurfette Island who also exhibit sexist attitudes against male Smurfs since they have lived for so long without their own parent Smurfs as models for their behavior. In Wartmonger society, the males are considered its most important members while the females are treated as second-class citizens, rarely given any privileges beyond the limited occupations that the male Wartmongers see as suitable for females. The despotic rule of the Wartmonger king ensures that any revolts among the females demanding for change in their society are efficiently dealt with. Sexism is a non-existent problem in Psychelian society since all the Psyches are seen as equals, with their main concern being obedience to the Psyche Master's will. Nevertheless, because the Psyche Master sees physical interaction between the sexes as being the mark of savages, Psyches are only paired with members of the same sex through the bonding ritual and can only enter dream sharing with bonded partners of the same sex. Desire for members of the opposite sex is considered a taboo and is actively purged from all Psyches. Glovey story The Smurfs in the village tend to treat Smurfette different for being a girl. She is usually put to work on her garden, or to help do chores such as wash plates, do laundry, etc. The Smurf Aasif also never allows his wife to be left alone without being with any men around her to watch her every move, which also involves cooking and cleaning. LD Stories/Expanded AU Sexism is handled differently in various species within The Light and Dark Series and the Expanded Animated Universe. Humans Being the 16th Century, women in European culture are considered second-class citizens, but are expected to be hard-working, steady providers for their fathers, husbands, or children. They are typically classified as "motherly role players" in which their talents are developed for cooking, housekeeping, child-bearing, etc. Princess Savina is one woman held prisoner under these guidelines, which include needing her uncle's approval for any suitors to ask for her hand in holy matrimony. Falla is also a princess, so she would only be allowed to marry if her brother, King Copprick approves. Because of his age and quarrelsome relationship prior to her leaving Cye Castle, she rejects this idea and would much rather not marry at all if it meant keeping her dignity. As a result of their sibling rivalry, Falla had developed some sexism towards men and tends to make them work harder to earn her trust. When introduced in Story One, she exhibits strong behavior towards Johan, and frequently questions his actions or ideas. She had less disregard for Peewit following his creation of Moxette, which she realizes is one of his greatest accomplishments (and challenges). When turned evil at the end of Story One, Johan's sexism towards females is more prominently displayed, starting with Falla. Each encounter brings out a sly comment or disregard, which he would normally withhold from doing since he knows she is not conformed to every stereotype regarding females. Unfortunately, he begins to subconsciously conform to stereotypical behaviors that encourage Falla to rekindle her sexist views about men. More to come later! Smurfs Since Smurfette was the first female Smurf of her generation, many of her fellow Smurfs did not know what to expect out of her. They assumed she would be like most animals they have observed and fit a maternal, family-oriented individual with strong, but gentle nature. Being so feminine and emotional, too, they assumed she would be a pushover - easy to overpower, attract, or scare. The results of their actions and comments was nearly driving Smurfette out of the village because she felt more like an object than an equal member of society. Over time, as most Smurfs' attraction for her waned, they began to realize she is more than a female Smurf and that her gender has very little to do with her intelligence, grace, strength, and curiosity. On the rare occasion, a Smurf may make a sexist comment - sometimes without realizing what he has communicated - but for the most part, they have come to respect Smurfette and the contributions she makes to the village. Sprites Ripple used to believe women were nothing but trouble, considering his desire to live a carefree, single lifestyle and never be tied down. Upon meeting Karma, his attitudes changed once he found himself falling in love with her. He had underestimated her and came to realize that she is far more complex, comical, and charming, and so his lifestyle appeal changed to include her. Once they began dating, his sexism seemed to vanish almost entirely. More to come later! Gnomes Starting in the Season 10 episode, "The Gnome Princess," Prince Pyro showed great disinterest in meeting Princess Glacia because he assumed she would be "some girl in a tiara" that his father would press him for a relationship. Stemming from the loss of his own mother, he despised the idea of falling in love, getting married, starting a family, and taking over his father's kingdom as he is expected to do. After getting to know Glacia, however, he found himself starting to like her, and so his attitude towards a relationship has lightened up. Aeon of the Champion (AoC Universe) Smurf Manian will endeavour to '''offend '''as many people as possible, within the limits of the wiki's rules, with his depictions of sexism. This is so given the current hysteria surrounding it and other highly-charged terms, and the one-sided nature of the term overall (as well as people who want it to stay that way, for reasons of varying speciousness). See Also * Transgenderism Category:Behaviors Category:Open to Community Category:Cultural issues Category:Mature topics Category:Religious beliefs Category:Personal beliefs Category:Prejudices